1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer system, and deals more particularly with a method, system, and computer program product for using biometrics on pervasive devices for purposes of mobile identification.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pervasive devices, sometimes referred to as pervasive computing devices, are becoming increasingly popular, and their functionality (in terms of communication and processing capabilities) is increasing rapidly as well. Pervasive devices are often quite different from the devices an end-user might use in an office setting, such as a desktop computer. Typically, a pervasive device is small, lightweight, and may have a relatively limited amount of storage. Example devices include: cellular phones which are enabled for communicating with the Internet or World Wide Web (“Web”); wearable computing devices; devices mounted in a vehicle, such as an on-board navigation system; computing devices adapted to use in the home, such as an intelligent sensor built into a kitchen appliance; mobile computers; programmable digital assistants, or “PDAs”; handheld computers such as the PalmPilot from 3Com Corporation and the WorkPad from the International Business Machines Corporations (“IBM”); etc. “WorkPad” is a registered trademark of IBM.)
Many pervasive devices are designed for portable use, and therefore are often adapted for connecting to a network. Because of their portability, these smaller devices typically enable the user to perform computing functions regardless of where he or she happens to be at the time, and some allow a user to easily transport the device as the user moves about in his or her daily activities. While early examples of these devices were somewhat expensive to operate, requiring a relatively expensive wireless network connection with limited bandwidth, the processing speeds of these devices are becoming faster and network bandwidth is growing quickly. As these smaller, more portable types of computing devices become more affordable and more popular among consumers, the demand for consumer access to data will continue to grow by leaps and bounds. This demand will drive new innovation that will lead to further increases in processing speeds and increased network bandwidth, making use of such devices more affordable and more widely accepted. As this trend continues, the idea of transmitting larger and larger amounts of data via the pervasive device will not be considered a barrier to its use. Furthermore, valuable new ways of exploiting these devices will be discovered. One field which has not yet been adapted to use by pervasive devices is biometrics.
Biometrics is the field of statistically analyzing biological data. Biometric techniques in common use today include retinal scanning, fingerprint and palm print analysis, and voice print analysis. Biometric devices with which biometric information can be captured and processed are increasingly being used to enable identifying the owner of a resource, and/or for controlling access to a resource. Typically, the resources are stationary or somewhat fixed in physical location. Example scenarios where biometrics are commonly used include: controlling access to bank accounts through automated teller machines; controlling access to personal computers; and for identification with residential and commercial security systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,973, entitled “System for Administration of Remotely-Proctored, Secure Examinations and Methods Therefor”, issued to Hoehn-Saric et al. and referred to hereinafter as the '973 patent, discloses a technique for using biometric data to protect access to a stationary testing site where a person is to be tested on some arbitrary topic. Biometric information about the test taker is used to create a registration card that is subsequently used to identify properly registered test takers. Biometric information is used again to enable delivery of test data (e.g. questions to be answered) to a test taker from a remote storage location, or to unlock the device on which the test data resides locally.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,152, entitled “Portable Fingerprint Scanning Apparatus for Identification Verification”, issued to Fishbine et al. and referred to hereinafter as the '152 patent, discloses a scanning device which scans and records fingerprint images and then transmits the images to a separate mobile unit for digitizing. The fingerprint information is subsequently transmitted from the mobile unit to a base unit at a central location for determining the identity of the person being fingerprinted and for performing a background check on that person. U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,403 (referred to hereinafter as the '403 patent), which is also entitled “Portable Fingerprint Scanning Apparatus for Identification Verification” and issued to Fishbine et al. as a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,152, further discloses a highly-integrated camera for capturing a photographic image of the person being fingerprinted. The portable image collection device is designed as a plug-in to a separate charger/cradle device (referred to as the “base unit”) which is preferably mounted in a police patrol car. The collected information is transferred from the portable device to the separate base unit, and is then sent from the base unit to the police station for comparison purposes. Addition of a “small scale QWERTY keyboard (as in a notebook computer)” to the portable device is referenced in regard to controlling operation of the device, directing it to toggle between fingerprint and mug shot mode; capture an image; display a menu of functions; and select a displayed function. Addition of nonvolatile memory to the portable device is described as an alternative embodiment where images are stored with the portable device for later transmission to the base unit, rather than requiring a tether or wireless transmitter for that purpose (as in the preferred embodiment).
However, none of these references teaches use of biometrics with pervasive devices. The '973 patent is for use in a fixed, stationary application (the testing site). The '152 and '403 patents use a portable device for capturing fingerprint data and photographic images, but require this portable device to transmit information to another device (referred to therein as a mobile unit and a base unit, respectively), where that second device transmits the information to a central processing location.
Accordingly, what is needed is a solution that capitalizes on the portability and functionality, as well as the built-in communication capability, of pervasive devices to provide an improved technique for performing biometric analysis.